A relative of mine sent me a question asking how I could support a particular candidate that shall remain unnamed in this blog. I sent my relative the following answer:
Let me give you a really short answer. I will send a longer one later. But, today my day is full full full. Martin Luther, the German Reformer, commented that we do not follow a “theology of glory†but a “theology of the cross.†He said that all our choices have something of evil in them.
We are often forced to choose the “lesser of two evils.†Different people evaluate the evils differently, which is why the modern Church generally makes few pronouncements about politics. We tend to make comments about morality. People who consider Iraq an unjust war are likely to rank it as high as abortion. The counter often is that the results of Iraq have been a freer people, and that overturning a dictator overcomes the mistakes made on WMD’s. Thus abortion should now rank higher. People who are concerned about certain social issues may say that they show that capitalism cannot be allowed to run free and unfettered. The counter is that capitalism creates jobs and that, in the long run, this will take care of the social issues. And so on.
Whether I choose Sen. Obama or Sen. McCain, I will have to accede to some evil. Each of them have things in their platforms that I think are simply morally wrong. The question to me is which is the lesser of two evils. As Sen. McCain said, they are both honorable men who serve in the Senate. This is why there are so many undecided voters still. They are the people who look at the balance scale and are having trouble choosing between two honorable men who each have some bad stuff in their platforms.
Now let me add the following:
Simply because there is evil on both sides is not a reason to avoid voting. All of us make “lesser of two evil” choices throughout our lifetime. They are unavoidable, as Luther insisted. One of the reasons Luther spoke about sinning boldly was not to encourage sin but to state the inevitable. Anytime we must make choices, we make them by faith. No person can know the outcome of all his/her choices. But, we cannot avoid making choices. Therefore, we choose by faith, make the choice, and, inevitably, sin when one of the outcomes of our choice is not what we expected it to be, but rather something unjust. We cannot simply curl up and not make choices. So, Luther encouraged us to make our choices boldly and in faith, trusting that God would be in the process of sorting the consequences out. That is all any of us can do.
One may, possibly, make an active choice to not vote. It may seem from the outside to be “choosing not to choose” and, of course, there is still sin involved. It is not side-stepping the issue to not vote: it is side-stepping the arguing, the bickering and infighting. One year I even decided to vote and not tell anyone.
Although you and I, Fr E, are out of communion because of certain choices, the fact is we are still friends and I feel confident of your prayers and mention you in mine as well. But there are quite a few out there who *are* in communion, but who let political choices drive them apart. Unlike you and I, others assert not that *any* choice is going to be walking through a minefield, but rather that one choice over the other is “Divine Will” and promptly use that to accuse their brothers of heresy.
One can, I assert, decide not to vote not from some kind of pseudo-monastic “I’m above all this” kind of attitude, but rather from a “hands on, person-to-person is more important” attitude. In making the choice not to vote, I trust God to be active in the process, and pray the end of my action (not “inaction”) to be the furthering of His Kingdom: but it will only be so if I love Him and my Neighbour.
Anarchy is a choice. One that scares many people, but it is as fraught with evil as anything else for we are all humans. It avoids the fallacy that, having voted, I’ve done my duty and instead challenges me to make my daily choices to live justly and love mercy no matter what the laws of the land may be.
I find that more in keeping with the Gospel as I understand it. But that is my choice – not my lack of it. I make it boldly and trust God to work it out.
You would be one of the rare people that would have a thought through position on not voting. Most people are simply reacting rather than interacting.
I would be… but you know I’m nuts in other ways.